Opening a restaurant involves hundreds of decisions across concept development, financing, real estate, construction, menu planning, staffing, systems, compliance, and operations.
Use this checklist to identify what has been decided, what still needs work, and what could create unnecessary cost or risk if left unresolved.
Important: Requirements vary by jurisdiction, concept, building, and business structure. This resource is for planning and educational purposes and does not replace legal, tax, accounting, architectural, engineering, insurance, or regulatory advice.
OPENING PLAN
Your restaurant opening roadmap
The checklist is organized into five stages. Work through them in order, or jump directly to the area you need.
- Concept & Business Model
- Market & Demand
- Startup Budget & Capital
- Financial Model
- Business & Ownership Structure
- Site Selection
- Lease Due Diligence
- Design, Construction & Permitting
- Equipment, Furniture & Smallwares
- Menu & Pricing
- Vendors & Supply Chain
- Technology & Systems
- Licenses, Insurance & Compliance
- Staffing & Leadership
- Operating Systems
- Guest Experience
- Marketing & Pre-Opening
- Opening Readiness
- First 30–90 Days
- Before You Commit Major Capital
YOUR CHECKLIST
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FUND
PREPARE
DEFINE1. Concept & Business Model0 of 12 complete
DEFINE2. Market & Demand0 of 12 complete
FUND3. Startup Budget & Capital0 of 24 complete
FUND4. Financial Model0 of 23 complete
FUND5. Business & Ownership Structure0 of 11 complete
FUND6. Site Selection0 of 19 complete
FUND7. Lease Due Diligence0 of 23 complete
BUILD8. Design, Construction & Permitting0 of 20 complete
BUILD9. Equipment, Furniture & Smallwares0 of 18 complete
PREPARE0 of 17 complete
PREPARE11. Vendors & Supply Chain0 of 15 complete
PREPARE12. Technology & Systems0 of 18 complete
PREPARE13. Licenses, Insurance & Compliance0 of 12 complete
PREPARE14. Staffing & Leadership0 of 19 complete
PREPARE15. Operating Systems0 of 19 complete
PREPARE16. Guest Experience0 of 12 complete
PREPARE17. Marketing & Pre-Opening0 of 12 complete
OPEN18. Opening Readiness0 of 20 complete
OPEN19. First 30–90 Days0 of 16 complete
FINAL READINESS CHECKBefore You Commit Major Capital0 of 8 complete
Can you answer these eight questions confidently?
Before signing a lease, beginning construction, purchasing major equipment, or committing substantial personal capital, you should be able to answer:
Still have unanswered questions? That’s useful information. The goal of this checklist isn’t to convince you you’re ready. It’s to show you where your plan still needs work.
If those answers are unclear, the plan probably needs more work before the next major commitment.
Hospitality is complicated. Learning it shouldn’t be.